Often, in the eyes of men, the achievements of powerful women are transmuted into legend and myth until they come to seem worthless. Cleopatra is no exception to this as “she was an object of speculation and veneration, of gossip and legend, even in her own time” (Schiff, 1). Cleopatra became an influential ruler. However, “she. . . survives as a wanton temptress, this is not the last time a truly powerful woman is transformed into an unapologetically seductive woman” (Schiff, 2). Born into a male-dominated society, Cleopatra became a political genius at the age of eighteen, using her weapons of seduction and beauty to manipulate powerful political leaders like Julius Caesar and Mark Antony, and to improve the Egypt at the same time. Cleopatra's relationship with Julius Caesar began to develop when Caesar followed Pompey the Great to Egypt only to discover that he had already been killed. Julius Caesar “was…rarely disconcerted, armed for all eventualities, a precise and lucid strategist” (Schiff, 17). Once in Egypt, Caesar spent some time in Alexandria and met Cleopatra for the first time. Cleopatra was said to be “brilliant to look at and even listen to, with the power to captivate anyone, even an already overwhelmed love-starved man” (Fletcher, 104). Whether this is true or not has sparked controversy among historians and remains a myth to this day. One cannot assume how beautiful she was because "beauty is of course, in the eye of the beholder, and standards of beauty vary from time to time, from person to person" (Tyldesley, 63) . However, historians still speculate that during this meeting, a spark was felt between the two of them. Caesar may have felt this way at one point, but it makes more sense to present to her ... middle of paper ... so she doesn't face the agony of losing someone Dear. Although she had proven that she could outwit and control any man put in front of her, she too let her infatuation get the better of her, and with no one left to protect her, she no longer saw the interest of living. Therefore, the reign of the political mastermind who was the last of the Egyptian queens came to an end. Works Cited Fletcher, Joann. Cleopatra the Great: The woman behind the legend. New York: Harper, 2011. Print. Grant, Michael. Cleopatra. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1973. Print. Schiff, Stacy. Cleopatra: a life. 1st ed. New York: Little, Brown and, 2010. Print.Tyldesley, Joyce A. Cleopatra: Last Queen of Egypt. New York, NY: Basic, 2008. Print. Walker, Susan. “Cleopatra: from history to myth.” History Today 51.4 (2001): 6. Academic Research Premier. Internet. February 10. 2014